Baby stuff is some of the cutest on the planet, bar none. The teensy little clothes, the adorable nursery décor, and the endless kinds of soothing toys available make my ovaries squeal for another baby. I especially love companies that wrap all of those things into one adorable little package. And that’s where some of my girl’s favorite snuggly toys come in. From the plush, gorgeously soft Roly Poly Bunny Comfy Cozy to the sweet little details of her Roly Poly bunny. I’m so glad GUND has been providing families with huggable plush for 120 years now.
I’m not the “crafty” mom.
As badly as I have always wanted to be a Pinterest mama. I just don’t have enough hours in the day to do so. In order to create a less stressful “nesting period,” I wanted to find ways to combine fun and function: when it came to my little girl’s room, I wanted toys that she could play with and that would be beautiful on the bookshelf or in her chair, too. I saw tons of images just like this on Pinterest, and it seemed like GUND might be the most helpful in my “work smarter, not harder” endeavor for decorating.
GUND Saves the Day
In the effort to give her nursery some whimsical aesthetic, I didn’t want to go overboard on theme. But I knew I wanted some soft, cuddly goodness thrown in here and there. GUND has been making teddy bears and similar fuzzy friends and gifts since 1898. However, recently began making an incredible baby line.
I’m a sucker for history, and when I looked deeper and saw that GUND supports multiple charities as well? SCORE for this mama. In an effort to “create a more huggable world,” GUND donates thousands of their sweet toys to support philanthropic missions of children’s hospitals, grief centers, and more. As a military spouse, though, I was beyond thrilled to see their involvement with Operation Shower. Who “hosts joyful baby showers for military families across the country. The showers are an opportunity for military families to leave the stresses of deployment at home, come together and celebrate.”
If I wasn’t already enamored with their beautiful and soft cuddlies and amazing mission, I was totally sold when I researched more about the company to discover that GUND makes all their baby products completely safe for your little one: no detachable eyes pose a choking hazard here. As they carefully embroider each lovey and animal with baby in mind.
Designing the nursery–no small feat
We decided on a Peter Rabbit-garden theme for Baby E’s nursery. And I set to looking on GUND’s website for the perfect complements to the dreamy scene I hoped to set. I wanted to buy products that would be comfort items that could grow with her. Baby GUND made this mission possible in a big way. Their huggable baby plush line is machine washable, versatile for both play and sensory development, and the quality means my baby. A soon-to-be-toddler will enjoy the baby GUND products for years to come. I would be able to check off a lot of items from my list of “new mama purchase worries” when looking into buying from GUND.
What I didn’t anticipate, though, was the internal struggle of which of their adorable items to buy: should we go full-on bunny mania. Or select an adorable assortment of new loveys and friends that she would surely love as she grew? I chose the latter option, because a girl needs variety.
Because I’m a sucker for “orders over *this* magic number ship free”. I decided to shop around for some friends of mine who were due with babies soon, too. I rubbed my expectant belly as I clicked on Baby GUND item after item. And added more Tucker giraffes, roly polys pigs, and Luna unicorns to my cart.
Sharing the love at showers
My secret formula to giving a great baby shower gift is a pack of diapers, (not newborn!) a singular outfit that is seasonally appropriate, and a keepsake item. In the past, I’ve gotten stumped with what felt like boring options, because after all: how many picture frames does a person need?
Enter GUND. It’s become my go-to for adorable, baby-friendly gifts that are as fun to give as they are to receive. It doesn’t hurt that this line of goodies is baby-safe, machine-washable, and just really stinking cute. I received stuffed animals and loveys for my baby shower, too: but none stack up in terms of adorable durability and safety quite like GUND. Which is why I trust giving it to friends and my daughter alike.
I’m no longer anti-stuffed animals.
I had promised myself I wouldn’t let my baby become a stuffed animal hoarder like I was when I was little. I collected every cheaply made and potentially hazardous friend I came across: from claw machines at the arcade to the ever-popular bean-filled animals of the 90’s. (Which I once cut open and nearly ate the beads until stopped by my dad!). My room had no semblance of theme, order, or safety.
GUND’s quality and overall integrity as a philanthropic company has convinced me that the sweet little pieces that provide my girl with security and comfort aren’t simply friends for her. But provide a warmth and added charm to her room décor that I hadn’t considered before. My barrage of bears and dolls growing up were always strewn about haphazardly. (And were, quite frankly, a little ugly and creepy.) And though she isn’t quite old enough to do so yet. I won’t mind seeing her baby GUND pals laying about.
